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Pulitzer winning editorial cartoonist, inventor, engineer, and author Rube Goldberg left a significant legacy to inspire makers and thinkers. While most believe that the STEAM Education revolution started just a few years decades ago, Goldberg has been inspiring tinkerers with his detailed drawings for generations, aside the great inventor artist Leonardo daVinci.

Goldberg drew an estimated 50,000 cartoons starting in the 1920s, many of which depict delightfully wacky machines completing simple tasks. Goldberg once said that his creations were symbols for “man’s capacity for exerting maximum effort to accomplish minimal results.”

Rube Goldberg is the only person to have ever been listed in the dictionary as an adjective! That’s how special he is. Learn more about this intriguing individual here.

Learning the Goldberg Way

Approach life with humor and curiosity. View tasks with whimsy and playfulness. Break it down into simpler parts. Share your ideas, however wacky they are!

Complicated, multi-step contraptions when broken down are simply simple machines. The wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, lever, pulley, and screw are all around us, we use them in our daily tasks. Learning about and building with them helps us explore science and engineering in an engaging, practical, inspired way.

Building and testing the concepts of movement and force with simple machines allows for practice and repetition, or in STEAM Ed lingo, fostering “testing and iteration” skills. Repeated failure and making changes are a good thing!

We all have a wonderful challenge:

Our children are born as creators, scientists, thinkers, and makers! Yet how do we nurture and foster their natural curiosity at home? How do we create spaces at home that support their explorations and allow for the all important “messing about” and process of discovery?

Here is a short list of ideas that could turn into an amazing family experience!

Start with a clean surface and space that can become a maker station in your home. (You so not have to have a large home to do this!). Think outside the box (Do you have an underused table or kitchen desk? Is this an indoor or outdoor space?)

Look into possibilities with your child on how to stock the area. If it is hard to decide, use your local resources: the art store, Resource, Pinterest for ideas. What grabs a current interest? Is there something new you want to try out?

Think big or really little! Children often enjoy building big or tinkering little. Think about the scale of what they are interested in.

Materials do not have to be expensive! Recyclables, loose parts, and natural materials from outside are all great choices to get started.

Make space and time for your new area of exploration. Would it be fun to go there after breakfast on weekends or at the end of a long day? Would it be fun to explore with your child before you step back and let his/her creative juices flow? Offer a “maker’s jam” to your child: get comfy in old T-shirts than can handle paint and turn on some tunes-then create, invent, and tinker away!

A first project idea: A catapult!

Challenge: How many ways can you built a table size catapult?

Possible parts and pieces for your maker’s space:

Rubber bands (different types)

20 pencils

Spoons

Pompom balls

Craft sticks

Hot glue gun

Elmer’s glue

Paper clips

Markers

Construction Paper

Scissors

Send us a photo your design (email it to patriciaj@bixbyschool.org) and we will share it here at Bixby School with our makers in their brand-new makers’ studio! You will have a chance to win a prize!

There exists a world where everything is possible; where fairies and woodland creatures rejoice together in peace and harmony. There is a place full of wonders and magic surrounded by enchanting forests, sparkle and bewilderment. Such a place does not abide only in our imagination and dreams, but it is present in our own gardens and backyards. The only thing needed for this world to come alive is just a pinch of your inspiration and wit. Here we provide you a step-by-step tutorial on how to create your own marvelous fairy garden.

Containers and Pots

The first step to creating a wondrous fairy garden is choosing the right containers and pots. This will serve as the foundation for all other details needed to complete this magical setting. First you need to decide on the amount of containers you wish to set up. Make sure to pick out bigger sized pots so you would be able to add more details. Make use of old and broken pots and turn them into fairytale houses.

Potting Mix

The second thing you need to consider is your own choice of potting mix. This should include various choices of tiny rocks and stones, adequate type of soil and other elements such as activated carbon that will help clean and filter the water that does not get absorbed. You can also add different details like beads or pearls just to add a bit of charisma to it. Add a bit of dazzle and allure and make your trendy garden setting.

Plants

The best solution when it comes to choosing suitable plants for your magical fairy garden is making your choice diverse. The more the merrier they say. This way you will be able to create an enchanting surrounding for all the magical beings residing there. Go crazy with color and size of plants. The only thing you should keep in mind is to pick out plants that have the same growing requirements and that will grow well in your climate and area. Do not be afraid to experiment with different plant life so you would be able to design your own fairy oasis.

Decoration

The last but certainly the most exciting part of the project is adding details and decoration according to your personal affinities and liking. Fairy figures, bird houses, stone paths and mushroom homes are only the beginning. Make sure to enter your own world of imagination and create a setting where everything is possible. Think of the most impressionable design ideas and use them in your miniature fairytale gardens. Miniature sculptures and figures accompanied by small details like windmills, benches, different lights and similar are also a great idea. There are no rules when it comes to decoration. It should reflect your own world of fantasy and imagery.

It does not matter if you are an adult and have your regular every day routines. We all are still part children who believe in magic and fairy tales. So every time you need to escape from your difficulties you can find shelter and comfort by visiting your magical friends. It is the perfect opportunity to relive your favorite childhood moments and become carefree and lighthearted even just for a brief period of time.

Author’s Bio: Lana Hawkins is a student of architecture and a crafty girl from Sydney, Australia. She enjoys writing about landscaping and garden décor and she is especially interested in green building. Amazing gardens created by landscape design company from Sydney inspired her to write this article. Lana loves spending her free time cooking for her friends.

Meet a Maker: Mark Moffett and the Fantastical Art Car

After a months-long struggle, we finally secured a car on August 8, 2015! A 1996 Volkswagen Golf. Thanks to Martha Lanaghen and Jeff Scott from MakerBolder!

My build partner for this pro ject is Jackson Ellis. Construction began on August 17 at Alloy Gallery in Lafayette. Jackson and I worked through the week, reconfiguring, removing and welding the skin. Our sheet metal and metal objects were donated by Uncle Benny’s Building Supplies, in Loveland.

Our first glueing event took place at Art Night Out in Lafayette, Friday, August 21. It was a great night and the town really embraced the project. Several members of the community participated. We painted some areas of the the car with chalkboard paint for those who wanted clean hands and clothes. We received donated objects from Sister Carmen, RAFT Colorado; and Art Parts Creative Reuse Center in Boulder. I purchased other materials at Goodwill Outlet World in Denver. Thanks to our host J Lucas Loeffler and Alloy Gallery!

The following night, we trekked to Denver for the Colorado Night Market. An audience participation, pop-up art show, held in the back of U-Haul Trucks! It was a very original, fun-filled evening. However, the most excitement came during our trip back to Lafayette, when we we’re pulled over by Westminister Police. Our tail-lights were on the fritz! Fortunately, they were more curious than anything. We were allowed to continue, as long as our support van had it’s flashers on! Thanks officers!

Then, we trekked to the Rocky Mountain STEAM Fest where we visited with hundreds of people and worked with the materials we had collected. More work is yet to come, and we’re always looking for donations for this car – or if you have an old car you’d love to donate, we’re ready to start new projects as well. Just email info@www.makerbolder1.dev to learn more.

Great objects include:

Happy Meal Toys

Action figures

Dolls and doll heads

Skeletons and skulls (plastic please!)

Multiples: shells, marbles, small rocks, corks, pennies

Mardi Gras beads and glass beads

Old jewelry and gems

Any interesting plastic items

Old damaged musical instruments

All items should be weather-proof and able to spend time in the Colorado sun.

A recent headline in Wired magazine put it simply: “Schools are preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist.” After all, how many times have you found a job memorizing historical dates or filling out worksheets? That kind of education is no longer relevant.

At Watershed School, our mission is to build the character and the ability of students to take on the world’s greatest challenges. For us, that means teaching them to create original solutions to real-world problems – and develop the ability to adapt, collaborate, and create.

At Watershed, this looks very different than students sitting in rows. It means

Starting a small business in an economics class

Using Arduino circuits to solve a problem in engineering

Learning Spanish by navigating the streets of small town Guatemala

Using design thinking to reduce the amount of waste headed to landfill

As a result, kids love coming to school. Your children are natural born inventors, entrepreneurs, and creative problem solvers. Giving kids the tools to express it makes them happier and more successful.

We support STEAMFest because STEAMFest is about this different way of learning. In Boulder, we are lucky to be part of a community of technological problem-solvers, educational innovators, and open-minded parents looking for something different.

And after STEAMFest, check us out at www.realworldlearning.is, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter at @watershed_co. You could even call us on an old-fashioned phone. We’d love to show you a different kind of school.

We had so much fun at Denver Mini Maker Faire! We saw tons of great new things, and met interesting people that are working on creative and wonder-inducing new inventions.

One of our favorites is Matrix Flare (and they’ve signed up to exhibit at the upcoming STEAM Fest – so be sure to join us and check them out!)

We interviewed Tasha Bingman and learned more about Matrix Flare. We hope you’ll support her Kickstarter campaign. We think you’ll be inspired by her story.

An idea is born

Matrix Flare cubes show off their creative animations and artwork created in the Pixel Maker App.

Tasha initially created this project for her 7 year old so he could learn about circuits, programming, graphical user interfaces (GUI), and still be able to create art quickly. He enjoys it so much she thought it would be a fantastic Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) project. After they’d created a couple of them, they realized that they were playing with the animations so much they figured others would enjoy them as well. Read more

I am a serial entrepreneur with three small start-ups under my belt (well, one of them is not a startup anymore as we’ve been in business for over five years). My first venture is my ongoing education consulting firm. The second is an electronic word game – similar to Scrabble, that you play on your computer or phone, only it has some unique rules, and the third is MakerBoulder, we produce events and activities that connect people to hands-on learning.

What do you make?

In addition to making businesses, I am a “try-anything-once” crafter – I’ve done a lot of scrapbooking, needlework, sewing, and photography, and I dabble in duct tape, gardening and a few other random crafts. I also love to cook.

How did you get started making and why?

I don’t have a choice, really. I can’t sit idle. Even in front of the TV. My mind needs to be creating something, so I keep trying new things. Some stick for a while, and some are abandoned (even before they are finished sometimes).

What’s the most amazing, unusual (craziest) thing anyone has ever done with or told you about what you make?

I wear this silly duct tape apron to a lot of events. It’s been photographed over two dozen times, and once a mother and daughter made me stand there while they talked about their own – before I could leave, they had each designed their own projects, and made a plan to get together to make their own. It actually made me feel really great – to see them creating in action, and to see how excited they were to try to make one on their own. That’s what this is all about – get your hands dirty, try things out, iterate, etc.

What is your advice to people looking to do what you do or make what you make?

Just do it. The first one won’t be perfect. The next one will be better. No matter what, you’ll feel great about making something.

What is your favorite part about the maker movement?

The look in someone’s eyes when they discover something new, or when they accomplish something for the first time. “I did it!”

Where do you see your making going in the next 3 to 5 years?

I hope it is just like it is today. That I get to try lots of new things, dabble in a few favorites, and with any luck, work with others to help them try things, too.

What do you wish you could make but don’t know how to (yet)?

Well, I’ve always wished I could make great music – but I can’t sing, and I can’t seem to learn to read music, so that’s a struggle. Aside from music, I’d love to learn to work with metals – silversmith, or even heavy metals – welding. So cool.

My name is Alison Hughes and I’m a lifelong maker. I love music, art, craft, bikes, and the outdoors, especially when I can bring a nerdy angle to it. Engineering has always been a creative pursuit for me. I used to write audio hardware drivers at Apple but now I’m pretty excited about smaller scale embedded systems, sensors, and automation projects.

Since I was itty bitty, making has endlessly entertained and delighted me, especially growing up as an only child without a lot of playmates. My favorite playthings in elementary school were paper, scissors, pencils, yarn, and tape. I made everything I could dream up from these simple materials: animal ears and tail (my best friend was a dog so I wanted to fit in with the canine crowd), fashion eye glasses, lots of drawings, costumes, and games. I learned to program BASIC on an Apple IIe in 3rd grade. As I grew older, I picked up oil painting, sewing, jewelry making, DJing, and all sorts of crafts.

My father is an engineer/DIYer and had a huge influence on me growing up. He encouraged me to enter the science fair in junior high which led to my first hardware make: “Cooling Computers: Heat Pipes vs. Fans”. My dad specialized in thermodynamics so I obviously did not come up with that crazy idea on my own, ha!

What’s the most amazing, unusual (craziest) thing anyone has ever done with or told you about what you make?

“Why don’t you just buy it?”

What is your advice to women and girls looking to do what you do or make what you make?

The most important thing is to figure out what you care about in the world – it could be music, food, the environment, running, ping pong, dog clothes, particle physics – whatever gets you very excited – and then think of something you’d like to create or improve that relates to that interest. It has got to be something that you care about or else it won’t be any fun. Things that bring you joy will inspire the best ideas and projects that you will be motivated to complete despite tough challenges along the way.

And don’t be afraid to combine your interests even if nobody else thinks it makes sense. Putting novel things together is where the gold is, trust me. And finally, always bring empathy and your unique perspective to your designs. As women, you have so much to offer in this regard.

What is your favorite part about the maker movement?

I love the way it empowers everyday people to make their world the way they want it to be. It encourages people to be creative, teach themselves new things in a non-traditional manner, and to put their ideas out there even when it feels scary. Most importantly, the maker movement brings people together to exchange ideas and relate to one another in an empathetic way.

Where do you see your making going in the next 3 to 5 years?

I would like to turn making into my own business. I’ve made things for fun, I’ve made things for others as my job as a software engineer – now I’m ready to take on making as an entrepreneur. I care a lot about education and connectedness to the natural world so I see myself working to use technology to enhance those domains.

What do you wish you could make but don’t know how to (yet)?

I suck at analog electronics. I can hack it a bit, make some small mods but honestly it is a blurry, hand-wavy mess to me most of the time. Someday I would love to be able to design my own circuits from scratch!

Here in Boulder, we actually know who Hugh Herr is: the climber who lost his legs to frostbite on Mt. Washington, designed his own climbing prostheses, and used bionic feet to send the world’s hardest thin cracks. Herr now runs a biomechatronics group at MIT’s famed Media Lab. I talked with Herr for a book I wrote and, in addition to working on balance mechanics for “real” prostheses, Herr was deep into the creation of what he called a “spider suit” — basically, the elastic-like suit holds your arms and fingers in the flexed position, augmenting your pulling strength. With elastic help, climbers will appreciate the extra pep in their pull. Or…they would if the thing actually existed commercially. Until then, I offer this (moderately harebrained) prototype, which my kids and I actually product tested one afternoon up at Flag.

Events

This exceptionally exciting event is back again this December! Six teams competed last time and had an amazing time collaborating on their contraptions. We got to see a REAL handmade Archimedes’ screw at work and the energy and wonder in the room was invigorating. Be a part of the magic today, plan your team to prepare for the Challenge Finale on December 8* at the Boulder JCC.

Join Wildfire Arts Center and Maker Bolder for the MONSTER MASH Maker class! Inspired by Dr. Frankenstein, this is an evening filled with dissecting stuffed animals to recreate a make-and-take monster of their own vision.

This is a drop-off class with a focus on teaching hand-sewing in a fun, silly way for kids between the ages of 7-12 years.